'^''^^^^^^^^^•^..^^^ (:/u. .yfZa^^^^ C^ViAs^^ \ llruyfje/rj^'^^ A^ ^o/t^rtuo' t THE UNKNOWN LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. The Unknown Life OF JESUS CHRIST Bv the Discoverer of the Manuscript NICOLAS NOTOVITCH Translated from the French by ALEXINA LORANGER FOURTH EDITION 1916 INDO-AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY (Not Inc.) 5705 SOUTH BOULEVARD CHICAGO ILL. "5T no Copyright 1894 by INDO-AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY Chicago Illinois U. S. A. The Unxiiown Life of Jesus Christ imHRV MORSE STSTPHfiHS TABLE OF CONTENTS. Preface, 7 A JouRi^^EY TO Thibet, 13 The Ladak, 62 A Feast in a Gonpa, 76 The Life of Saikt Issa, 98 Epitome, 147 Explanatory Notes, 184 ? 11029 PREFACE. AFTEE the close of the Turko-Kussian War (1877- 1878) I undertook a series of extended jour- neys through the Orient. Having visited all points of interest in the Balkan Peninsula, I crossed the Caucasian Mountains into Central Asia and Persia, and finally, in 1887, made an excursion into India, the most admired country of the dreams of my childhood. The first object of this journey was to study the customs and habits of the inhabitants of India amid their own surroundings, as well as the grand, myste- rious archaeology and the colossal, majestic nature of the country. Wandering without any settled course from one locality to another, I at last came to mount- ainous Afghanistan, whence I reached India through the picturesque passes of Bolan and Guernal. I then fol- lowed the Indus to Eawal-Pindi, traveled through the Punjab — the country of five rivers — visited the golden temple of Amritsir, the tomb of Eandjid Singh, king of the Punjab, near Lahore, and proceeded toward Kashmir, the ^^vale of eternal happiness. ^^ There I began my peregrinations as fancy or curiosity (7) 8 PREFACE. guided or dictated, until I reached the Ladak, where I intended to make a somewhat lengthy stay before returning to Eussia through Eastern Turkestan and Karakorum. In the course of one of my visits to a Buddhist con- vent, I learned from the chief Lama that there existed very ancient memoirs, treating of the life of Christ and of the nations of the Occident, in the archives of Lassa, and that a few of the larger monasteries pos- sessed copies and translations of these precious chronicles. There being little probability of my early return to this country, I resolved to delay my departure for Europe, and verify these assertions by seeing some of these copies, even though I were obliged to invade every convent as far as Lassa — a journey far less perilous and difficult to accomplish than we are usually led to believe. Besides this, I was now so well accus- tomed to the dangers encountered by the traveler in those regions that they no longer possessed any terrors for me. During my sojourn in Leh, the capital of Ladak, I visited Himis, a large convent in the outskirts of the city, where I was informed by the Lama that the monastic libraries contained a few copies of the manu- Bcript in question. PREFACE. 9 That I might not arouse the suspicions of the author- ities in regard to the object of my visit to the convent, and raise no obstacles to a subsequent journey into Thibet — as a Russian — on my return to Leh I an- nounced my immediate departure for India, and again left the capital of Ladak. An unfortunate accident, whereby my leg was fract- ured, furnished me with a totally unexpected pretext to enter the monastery, where I received excellent care and nursing; and I took advantage of my short stay among these monks to obtain the privilege of seeing the manuscripts relating to Christ. With the aid of my interpreter, who translated from the Thibetan tongue, I carefully transcribed the verses as they were read by the Lama. Entertaining no doubt of the authenticity of this narrative, written with the utmost precision by Brahmin historians and Buddhists of India and Nepal, my inten- tion was to publish the translation on my return to Europe. With this object in view, I addressed myself to several well-known ecclesiastics, requesting them to revise my notes and tell me what they thought of the matter. Monseigneur Platon, the celebrated archbishop of Kiew, believed my discovery to be of great importance; but he earnestly tried to dissuade me from giving 10 PEEFAOE. the memoirs publicity, declaring it would be against my own interests to do so. Why? This the venerable prelate refused to explain. Our conversation, however, having taken place in Russia, where censorship would have placed its veto on a work of this kind, I determined to wait. A year later I chanced to be in Rome. Here I sub- mitted the manuscript to a cardinal standing high in the estimation of the Holy Father. ^^ Why should you print this?^^ he said, didactically; ^^ nobody will attach much importance to it, and you will create numberless enemies thereby. You are still young, however. If you need money, I can obtain some compensation for these notes, enough to remu- nerate you for your loss of time and expenditure.^^ Naturally enough, I refused the offer. In Paris I laid my project before Cardinal Rotelli, whom I had met in Constantinople. He also opposed the publication of my work, under pretext that it would be premature. '^The church,^'' he added, ^'suffers too deeply from this new current of atheistic ideas; and you would only furnish new food to the calumniators and detractors of the evangelical doctrine. I tell you this in the interest of all Christian churches. ^^ I then called on M. Jules Simon, who found my communication most interesting, and advised me to PREFACE. 11 consult M. lienan in regard to the best means of pub- lishing these memoirs. The very next day I found myself seated in the study of the great philosopher. At the end of the interview M. Eenan proposed that I should intrust him with the memoirs in question, that he might make a report on them to the Academy. This proposition, as the reader will understand, was most seductive and flattering; yet I took away the work with me, saying I wished to revise it once more — the fact being that I feared if I accepted this association I would only receive the bare honor of discovering the chronicles, while the illustrious author of the ^' Life of Jesus ■' would reap the glory of the publication and of the commentaries. Believing myself sufficiently prepared to publish the narrative by adding my own notes, I finally declined the courteous offer made to me. That I might not, however, wound the feelings of the great master, whom I deeply respected, I resolved to await his death, which could not be far off, judging from his feebleness. Soon after the death of M. Eenan, I wrote to M. Jules Simon, and again sought his advice. His reply was that I should judge for myself of the expe- diency of giving publicity to the memoirs. I therefore prepared my notes, and now publish them, reserving the right to attest the authenticity of 12 PREFACE. these chronicles. In my commentaries I carefully develop the arguments which prove the good faith and sincerity of the Buddhist compilers. It only remains for me to add that before criticising my work scientific societies can, without much expense, organize an expe- dition whose mission it will be to study these manu- scripts in the locality in which they are to be found, and thus verify their historical value. Nicolas Notovitch. P. S. — In the course of my travels I took many curious photographs, but when I came to examine the negatives on my return to India I was dismayed to find that they were absolutely destroyed. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ. A JOURNEY TO THIBET. DURING- my sojourn in India, I found many opportunities to mingle and converse with the Buddhists; and so thoroughly was my curiosity excited by their accounts of Thibet that I resolved to immediately undertake a journey to that almost unknown country. With this view, I chose a route extending through Kashmir, a country I had often desired to explore. On October 14, 1887, I took my place in the compartment of a railway train literally filled with soldiers, and traveled from Lahore to Rawal- pindi, reaching the latter place at noon the fol- lowing day. Having recovered from the fatigues of the journey and visited the city, which, owing to its permanent garrison, presents the appear- ance of a war camp, I turned my attention to the purchase of such articles as are necessary on a journey where railways are unknown, and horses furnish the only means of conveyance. With the aid of my negro servant, Pondichery, I packed 14 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. my luggage, procured a tonga (a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by a pair of horses), and, having made myself as comfortable as circumstances would permit on the rear seat, began my journey over the j)icturesque route leading to Kashmir. Our tonga was soon rolling rapidly along the magnificent road, though no little dexterity was required in going through a large caravan of sol- diers belonging to a detachment traveling from the camp into the city, with their cumbersome luggage loaded on the backs of camels. Soon we came to the end of the Punjab Valley, and turn- ing into a sinuous path began to climb the Outer Himalayan Range. The acclivity became more and more abrupt as we ascended, while the mag- nificent panorama stretching away beneath our feet grew less and less distinct. The last rays of the setting sun were gilding the summit of the mountains as our tonga gaily emerged from the winding road on the crest of the mountain, below which nestles the pretty little town of Murree, a summer resort much in favor with the families of English officials, on account of its shade and comparative coolness. The journey from Murree to Serinagur may be accomplished by tonga; but at the approach of winter, when all Europeans desert Kashmir, the tonga service is suspended. Having undertaken. A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 16 my journey near the end of the warm season, I greatly astonished the English tourists whom I met on their way back to India; but their efforts to discover the object of my journey remained fruitless. The roadway not being entirely constructed yet, I was obliged, not without considerable dilE- culty, however, to hire saddle-horses. Night had already fallen when we started on our descent from Murree, which stands at an altitude of five thousand feet. The road was dark, and deeply rutted by recent rains, and the journey was any- thing but cheerful, as the horses faithfully plod- ded along, guided by instinct rather than sight. As night deepened, rain began to fall in torrents; and the shadows cast by the century oaks sur- rounding us shrouded us in impenetrable dark- ness. Fearing that we might stray apart and get lost, we kept up a continual shouting as we rode on. Above us we knew, though we could not pierce the thick gloom, that gigantic masses of rock overhung the path, while to the left a rush- ing torrent thundered down over a precipice hidden by the trees. We had waded through the thick mud for more than two hours, chilled to the bones by the icy rain, when the distant light of a fire at last appeared to revive our strength. But, alas! how 16 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. very deceiving such lights prove in the wilderness of the mountain! One moment it seems almost within reach of your hand, but suddenly disap- pears, to reappear, sometimes at your left, then at your right, sometimes above, then below you, as if it took pleasure in tantalizing the weary traveler. Meanwhile, the road makes a thousand turns, zigzagging in every direction, while the motionless fire seems animated with perpetual motion, the obscurity being so dense that we fail to see the continual changes in the direction of the road. I had regretfully abandoned all hope of ever reaching this so earnestly longed-for fire, when it suddenly reappeared so close to us that the horses involuntarily stopped short. Here I must pause to express my gratitude and offer my sincere thanks to the English for their kind thoughtfulness in erecting along the roads a number of small bungalows, in which the weary traveler is glad to find shelter and rest. These isolated inns possess little comfort, it is true, but the exhausted pilgrim does not even notice the lack of luxuries, so delighted is he to find a clean dry room in which to stretch his tired limbs. The Hindoos evidently did not expect travelers at that advanced hour of the night and at that A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 17 season, for they had carried away the keys, and we were compelled to force open the door of the bungalow. I immediately threw myself on the bed, which consisted of one pillow and a piece of wet carpet, and was soon buried in slumber. At dawn, after partaking of tea and a little food, we resumed our way under a scorching sun. Now and then we passed through a village, standing in some mag- nificent defile, or along the winding path that penetrated into the very bosom of the mountains, until we finally reached the Jhelum, whose sparkling waters flow gracefully over a rocky bed, and whose course is confined within a picturesque gorge that sometimes rises almost to the azure vault of the Himalayan heavens — heavens wonderfully pure and serene in this region. At noon we reached a hamlet called Tongua, where the houses are strung along the river-bank and appear like so many boxes with fa§ade open- ings. Cosmetics and all kinds of merchandise are retailed. The place literally swarms with Hindoos, each bearing on his brow the diversely colored mark of his particular caste. Here, too, is seen the dignified Kashmirian, clad in a long white tunic and an equally snowy turban. In consideration of a good round sum of money^ 18 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. I procured the loan of a Hindoo cabriolet from a Kashmirian. This equipage is so constructed that one must sit with crossed legs, or Turkish fashion, while the seat is so small that it will barely accommodate two persons. The absence of a ba(*/k, moreover, renders this mode of loco- motion extremely dangerous. Such was my anxiety to reach the end of my journey, how- ever, that I unhesitatingly climbed on this circu- lar table — so awkwardly perched on two wheels and drawn by a single horse — rather than delay my departure one unnecessary day. But I had barely gone a half -kilometer when I seriously began to regret my saddle-horse, so fatiguing and difficult did I find it to keep my legs crossed and maintain my equilibrium. Unfortunately, it was too late to turn back. Night had fallen when I arrived at Horis, exhausted with fatigue and bruised by the jolt- ing, my limbs feeling as though they were the central point of attack from millions of ants, and too utterly wretched to enjoy the picturesque scenery opening before our eyes as we advanced along the Jhelum, on the banks of which arises a chain of wooded mountains on one side, while the other is bordered by a rocky precipice. At Horis I met a caravan of pilgrims on their way from Mecca. Imagining that I was a physi- A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 19 cian, and hearing of my hurry to reach the Ladak, they begged me to join them, which I promised to do after reaching Serinagur. I left the village on horseback at dawn, after a night spent seated upright on my bed, holding a lighted torch in my hand, and not daring to close my eyes, lest I should be stung by the myriads of scorpions and centipedes which in- fested the bungalows. Though heartily ashamed of the terror inspired in me by those insects, I could not sufficiently overcome it to compose myself to sleep. Who can point out the dividing-line between courage and cowardice ? Who can say where the one begins and the other ends ? I make no boast of bravery, but I am not a coward. And yet, the insurmountable fear aroused in me by that species of small animals totally banished sleep from my eyes in spite of my extreme fatigue. As our horses slowly advanced through the flat valley, with the sun beaming warmly on us from over the mountains, I gradually fell asleep in the saddle. I was suddenly aroused by a chilly breeze some time later, and found that we were ascending a mountain-path in the midst of a vast forest, which sometimes opened to give us a glimpse of an impetuous torrent, with pictur- 90 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHEI8T. esque surroundings, then quickly closed again, concealing from our view the mountains, the sky, the entire country in fact, but giving us instead the songs of myriads of its bright-plumaged birds. We emerged from the forest at about noon, descended into a small hamlet on the river-bank, and having refreshed ourselves with a cold lunch, resumed the journey. As we passed the market- place I stopped with the intention of purchasing a glass of warm milk from a Hindoo who was squatting beside a large pail of boiling milk; but what was my surprise when he proposed that I should take the pail with its contents, declaring that I had defiled the liquid. ''I only want a glass of milk, not the pail," I explained. ''According to our laws," replied the Hindoo, ''if any one not belonging to our caste gazes fix- edly at any object, or article of food, we must throw away the one and wash the other. You have defiled my milk, O Sahib, and no one will drink it; for not only did you gaze at it, but you also pointed your finger in its direction." Having long examined his merchandise to make sure it was real milk, as well as pointed out from which side of the pail I desired to have it poured, I stood convicted; and a^ I always respect the A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 21 laws and customs of strange nations, I readily gave liim a rupee, the full price of the spilt milk, although I had taken but one glass. The inci- dent taught me a lesson, however, and I was never again guilty of fixing my eyes on the food of a Hindoo. There is no religious doctrine more encumbered with ceremonies, laws, and commentaries than Brahminism. While each religion possesses but one Bible, one gospel, or one Koran, from which the Hebrews, the Christians, and the Mohamme- dans borrow their faith, the Brahmin Hindoos possess so great a number of commentaries in folio that the most learned Brahmin that ever existed scarcely had time to reach the tenth. Leaving aside the four books of the Vedas, the Pouranas, written in Sanscrit, and composed of eighteen volumes, containing four hundred thou- sand stanzas, which treat of law, theology, medicine, of the creation, the destruction and regeneration of the world, etc.; the vast Chas- tras, which treat of mathematics, grammar, etc. ; the Oupovedas, Oupanichadas, Oupopouranas, which serve as explanation to the Pouranas, and a host of other commentaries in many volumes, there still remain the twelve large books containing the laws of Manou, grandson of Brahma. These books not only relate to penal 22 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. and civil laws, but also to canonical regulations, which impose on their adepts such an infinite number of ceremonies that we can not but admire the unalterable patience of the Hindoos in their observation of the precepts dictated by Saint Manou. Manou was incontestably a great legislator and profound thinker, but he has written so exten- sively that he frequently contradicts himself in the same page. The Brahmins do not even remark this, and the poor Hindoos, whose mis- sion it is to labor for the support of that caste, humbly obey their clergy, whose commands enjoin them to never touch a man not belonging to their own caste; while a stranger is absolutely forbidden to fix his attention on anything owned by the Hindoos. By this adherence to the strict sense of the law, the Hindoo imagines that his food is contaminated when it becomes the point of attraction to a stran- ger. And yet, even as late as the period of its second birth, Brahminism was a purely mono- theistic religion, recognizing but one infinite and indivisible God. But, as in all ages and religions, the clergy, taking advantage of their privileged position, gradually enacted laws of their own and instituted different forms of external worship, hoping thereby to influence the ignorant masses. A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 23 By degrees, the principles of monotheism — of which so clear a conception is given by the Vedas — degenerated into an absurd, unlimited series of gods, goddesses, semi-gods, genii, angels, and demons, all represented by idols as varied in form as they are repulsive to the sight. These people, formerly as proud as their religion was pure and grand, are now drifting into a complete state of idiocy, the day scarcely sufficing for the accomplishment of all the duties prescribed by the ecclesiastical laws. It may well be positively asserted that the Hindoos subsist merely to provide for the prin- cipal sect of Brahmins, who have grasped the temporal power formerly held by the independent sovereigns of the people. While governing India, the English never interfere with this phase of public life, and the Brahmins take advantage of this to inspire in the nation the hope of a better future. The sun soon vanished behind the towering peaks, and tlie shadows of night immediately fell over the picturesque scenery we were traversing. The deep hush of sleep then also spread over the narrow valley lapped by the Jhelum. The road, winding along a narrow ledge of steep rocks, insensibly melted from our view, mountains and trees became one confused somber mass, and the 24 UNKNOWN LIFB OF CHEI8T. stars began to peep from tlie sky above. We alighted from our horses and groped our way along the mountain* sides, fearing every moment to be dashed into the yawning precipice at our feet. At an advanced hour of the night we crossed a bridge and climbed up a steep incline leading to the Ouri bungalow, which stands in complete isolation on those heights. The following day we traversed a charming region; still skirting the river-bank, we came to a sharp bend, where we found the ruins of a Saic fortress, seemingly grieving over the ashes of its glorious past. In a small valley, almost concealed in the midst of the surrounding mountains, we found a bunga- low, with its door invitingly opened in welcome; and not far away we suddenly came into the camp of a cavalry regiment belonging to the army of the Maharaja of Kashmir. On learning that I was a Russian, the officers courteously invited me to breakfast with them. It was on this occasion that I had the pleasure of forming the acquaintance of Colonel Brown, who was the first to compile a dictionary of the Afghan-Pouchtou tongue. Being extremely anxious to reach Serinagur as soon as possible, I at once resumed my journey, through a most picturesque region lying at the A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 26 foot of the mountains. To my eyes, so wearied by the monotony of the preceding scenery, the inhabited valley that now stretched before ns, with its two-story buildings, its gardens, and cultivated fields, came as a positive relief. At a short distance, hidden by a range of high hill- ocks, which we crossed toward evening, begins the celebrated " Vale of Kashmir." How can I describe the magnificent scenery that opened before my eyes as I reached the brow of the last hill that separates the ''Vale of Kashmir" from the mountainous country I had just traversed! A dazzling picture held me spell- bound! The "Vale of Kashmir," which is everywhere populated, and whose limits are lost in the hori- zon, is walled in by the high Himalaya Mount- ains. At the rising and setting of the sun the zone of eternal snows appears like a silver ring encircling this rich, beautiful plateau, which is intersected by many fine roads and numberless sparkling rivers. The gardens, the hillocks, and the lake, with its many islands covered with buildings of presump- tuous style, all contribute to make the traveler believe he has been suddenly transported into another world. He is strongly inclined to tarry here forever, thinking he must have found the 26 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. paradise, or enchanted land, of his nursery days. The veil of night soon spread over the valley, merging mountains, gardens, and lakes into one dark mass, with a few distant lights glimmering here and there like stars. I descended the valley in the direction of the Jhelum, which has cut its way through a narrow defile in the mountains to unite its waters with those of the River Indus. A legend exists in which it is claimed that the valley was once an inland sea, the waters of which forced a passage through the environing prison-walls, leaving no trace but a few small ponds and the Jhelum River, which empties into the Indus. Its banks are almost hidden by the numerous long, narrow boats which serve as shelter for the families of the owners the year round. From this point, Serinagur may be reached in one day on horseback, but the journey by boat consumes a day and a half. I nevertheless chose to travel by water; and having procured a boat, after much haggling about prices with the propri- etor, I installed myself at its prow on a piece of carpet, protected by a sort of awning. We left at midnight, the boat gliding toward Serinagur. At the other extremity of the bark a Hindoo was quietly preparing me a cup of tea, while I fell into a dreamless sleep, happy in the A JOUKNEY TO THIBET. 27 thought that I was advancing on my journey without further exertion and fatigue. I was aroused by the warm caresses of the ris- ing sun, and opened my eyes on a glimpse of nature that charmed me into ecstasies: a bank of velvety verdure; the distant outlines of snow- capped peaks; pretty villages, nestling at the foot of the mountain; a crystalline sheet of water; a pure, balmy atmosphere, which I breathed with avidity; the warbling of an infinity of birds; a sky of transcendent purity; behind me the swish of the water under the impulsion of a rounded oar dexterously handled by a beautiful woman, with wonderful eyes and cheeks delicately bronzed by the sun. All these cast a spell upon me, and I totally forgot the reason of my pres- ence there. In that one moment I ceased to long for the end of my journey; and yet, what endless privations and j)erils there still remained to face and endure! The boat glided swiftly down the stream, the magnificent scenery unceasingly unfolding before my eyes to melt away beyond the confines of the horizon, where it seemingly became part of the mountains already passed; then, far away, in the direction toward which we were drifting, another glorious picture seemed to unroll from the mountain-side, a picture that grew more and more vivid as we were carried onward. 28 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. Twilight was now gathering fast about ns, and still I did not weary of the contemplation of this glorious bit of nature, which awakened in my heart the sweetest recollections of my youth and childhood. How beautiful indeed were those days, now forever gone! As we neared Serinagur we saw more and more of those pretty villages buried in verdure. As the boat came to a stop a number of people flocked to the river-bank, the men wearing tur- bans, the women in small caps, and long che- mises reaching to the ground, and the children in a state of nudity that strongly reminded us of the garments in vogue with our first parents. A long row of boats and floating houses, in which dwell entire families, lines the stream at the entrance of the city. As we quietly glided between these w^ooden huts the last rays of the setting sun were gilding the snow-covered sum- mits of the distant mountains. Life here seems to cease with the setting of the sun. Thousands of gaily colored dungas and banglas (boats), adorned with palanquins, were moored to the quay, while Kashmirians of both sexes, attired in the primitive costume of Adam and Eve, were performing their twilight ablu- tions absolutely unrestrained by the presence of others; for the importance of the rite they were A JOURNBT TO THIBET. 39 executing was far greater to them than that of all haman prejudices. On the morning of October 20th I opened my eyes in a clean cozy room overlooking the river, which sparkled and glistened beneath the glori- ous sun of Kashmir. My object not being to describe my voyage in these pages, I will say nothing of the valleys, the paradise of lilacs; of the enchanted islands, the many historical pal- aces, the picturesque pagodas, so redolent of mys- tery; the coquettish villages, seemingly lost in vast gardens; or of the majestic peaks of the giants of the Himalaya, rising on all sides and buried beneath a white shroud of eternal snow. I shall merely note the preparations made in view of a new journey in the direction of Thibet. I spent six days in Serinagur, making long excursions into its beautiful surrounding country, examining the numerous ruins that still stand as evidence of the ancient prosperity of that region, and studying the curious customs of the land. The Kashmir, as well as the other provinces attached to it, such as the Baltistan, the Ladak, etc., are vassals of England. They formerly made part of the possessions of the ''Lion of Punjab," Eandjid Sing; but at his death Eng- lish troops invaded Ijahore, the capital of the 30 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. Punjab, separated Kashmir from the rest of the empire, and under pretense of hereditary posses- sion and in consideration of one hundred and sixty millions of francs, ceded it to Goubab-Sing, a relation of the dead sovereign, on whom was conferred the title of Maharaja. At the time of my voyage, the reigning Maharaja was Pertab- Sing, grandson of Goubab, who resides in Jam- ooee, on the southern slope of the Himalayas. The celebrated "Vale of Kashmir," which is eighty-five miles in length and twenty-five miles in breadth, enjoyed its days of true glory and prosperity during the reign of the Great Mogul, whose court gathered there to enjoy the rustic pleasures of the country in the cottages still stand- ing on the small islands of the lake. A large number of the Maharajas of Hindoos- tan formerly spent the summer months here also, and took part in the sumptuous roun 1 of festivities given by the Great Mogul; but time has wrought a woful change, and the ''happy valley" is now nothing more than a place of resort for mendicants. Weeds and the moldi- ness from all sorts of noxious plants have covered the limpid water of the lake, the wild juniper bush has choked all vegetation on the islands, palaces and pavilions have nothing left but the remembrance of their dead grandeur, dust A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 31 and rank growths overspread the ruins like a mantle. The surrounding mountains, with their white pinnacles, seem mournfully sad and pa- tiently waiting for better days to burst forth in all their immortal beauty. The inhabitants, hitherto intellectual, handsome, and cleanly, are tending toward a state of idiocy; being filthy and lazy, and governed by the lash instead of the sword. The Kashmirians have so frequently been exposed to pillage and invasion, and have known so many masters, that they have become indif- ferent to everything; spending their time near their huts or on the river bank gossiping, or quietly making their celebrated shawls and cut- ting designs on gold or silver. The women are extremely melancholy, and bear an expression of inconceivable sadness on their features. Misery and squalor reign everywhere. The fine men and beautiful women of Kashmir are filthy and ragged beyond conception; and the dress of both sexes, in winter and summer alike, consists only of a long heavy gown, with wide flowing sleeves, resembling nothing more than a shirt. This gar- ment is removed only when completely worn out, and never — under any consideration — is it washed, giving the white turbans of the male population a dazzling whiteness in contrast with their stained, greasy gowns. 32 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. A deep sadness overcomes the traveler as he notes the contrast between this rich, opulent country and its ragged inhabitants. Serinagur (the city of the sun), or Cashmere as it is sometimes called from the name of the coun- try, is the capital and is situated on the Jhelum, along the bank of which it extends southward over a distance of five kilometers. The two-story houses, which shelter a popula- tion of one hundred thousand inhabitants, are constructed of wood, and stand in close proximity to the water. The town itself is not more than two kilometers in breadth, and everybody lives on the river whose banks are united by ten or twelve bridges. Steps lead from every house to the waters of the Jhelum, where nearly the entire day is spent in ablutions, bathing, and washing utensils — the latter consisting merely of two or three brass jugs. A portion of the inhabitants practice the Mohammedan religion, while two- thirds are Brahmans; there are also a few Bud- dhists, though the number is extremely limited. The time had now arrived to begin my prepara- tions for a journey into the unknown. Having purchased different kinds of conserves, a few casks of wine, and many other things found indispensable in the course of a journey through a country as sparsely populated as Thibet, I A JOTTRNEY TO THIBET. 38 packed the whole in boxes, hired ten carriers and one interpreter, bought myself a horse, and fixed the date of departure for October 27th. To enliven the road I procured from a Frenchman, Monsiur Peicheau, superintendent of the Maha- raja's vineyard, a large dog which had already accompanied my friends Bonvalot, Capus, and Pepin, the well-known explorers through the Pamir. Wishing to shorten the journey by two days, I started the carriers at dawn from the other side of the lake, while I crossed by boat, rejoining the caravan and my horse at the foot of the chain of mountains that separated the Serinagur Valley from the Gorge of the Sindh. Never shall I forget the tortures we endured in climbing, almost on all fours, to the summit of a peak three thousand feet high. The carriers were exhausted and out of breath, and I trembled lest one of them might roll down the declivity at any moment with his burden, while my heart fairly ached at sight of my poor dog, Pamir, who stum- bled along with his tongue lolling out, whining and falling by the way at every few steps. I forgot my own fatigue to caress and encourage the poor animal, who looked at me piteously, bravely went on a few steps more, and again fell exhausted. Night had fallen when we reached the pinnacle 8 34 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. of the mountain, where we greedily flung our- selves on the snow to quench our thirst. Having taken a brief rest, we began the descent through a dense pine forest, hoping to gain the village of Haiena at the foot of the defile before the appear- ance of beasts of prey. A straight well-kept road leads from Serina- gur to Haiena, going directly north to Gander- bal, where it turns abruptly to the east, after having skirted the Sindh and traversed a country of luxurious vegetation to Kangan, which is six miles from Haiena; toward which place I was journeying by a more direct route through a pass three thousand feet high, but which saved both time and distance. My first steps into the unknown were marked by an incident that left a most horrible impres- sion upon me. The defile of the Sindh, which is sixty miles long, is particularly celebrated for its inhospitable inhabitants, among which panthers, tigers, leopards, black bears, wolves, and jackals abound. The snow having unfortunately just spread its white mantle over the summits of the chain, these redoubtable foes of man had been forced to seek shelter in their lairs somewhat lower down. We were silently following the narrow winding path through the pines and centenary birch trees, A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 35 the grinding sound of our footsteps alone break- ing the deep monotonous hush of the night, when suddenly, in our very midst as it seemed, a prolonged howl awoke the echoes of the forest. Our little band stopped short and listened. ''A panther!" gasped my servant, who stood trembling by my side. The small caravan of twelve men stood with bated breath, paralyzed with fear. I now re- membered that at our last resting place I had entrusted my revolver to one of the carriers and given my rifle to another; the thought filled me with poignant regret and alarm, and I inquired in a low tone for one of these men. A more ter- rible cry rang through the night at this moment, then a crash like the fall of a heavy body was heard, succeeded by a shriek of agony that froze the blood in our veins. We guessed rather than saw the horrible struggle going on between the unfortunate man and the famished beast of prey. "Sahib, take the gun," whispered a voice near me. I feverishly clutched the Winchester. But, alas, I could not see two feet from me. Another cry, followed by a stifled roar, guided me; and I crept in its direction, equally divided between my desire to kill a panther and the horrible dread of being flayed alive. Nobody dared to move; and <\ 86 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. it was not until fully five minutes had elapsed that one of the men thought of lighting a match. Remembering the dread of fire usually evinced by wild beasts, I then caught up a few handf uls of brush- wood and set flame to it. Not more than ten feet from us, we then saw the unfortunate victim stretched on the ground, his limbs completely torn away by the claws of a beautiful panther which still crouched unmoved with a piece of flesh between its jaws. Near by lay a cask of wine completely crushed. Scarcely had I shouldered my gun, however, when the beast of prey sprang to its feet, dropped its bleeding morsel of food and turned as if ready to leap upon me; then with a blood-curdling howl, it suddenly veered about and disappeared in the thicket. My coolies, who all this time had been pros- trated to the ground by terror, now gradually recovered from their fright and prepared to go on. Having gathered a bunch of dry underbrush, placed some matches at hand, and cocked our guns, we hurried toward Haiena, leaving the remains of the unfortunate Hindoo behind us in fear of sharing the same fate. One hour later, we came out of the forest into the open country. I immediately had my tent put up under a leafy plane-tree and an enormous A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 37 fire built; this being the only means of protection that could be used against the wild beasts whose howls came from every direction about us freez- ing the blood in our veins. Meanwhile my dog crouched trembling at my feet; but, once in the tent, he quickly regained his courage and spent the rest of the night in incessant barking. That night was a terrible one to me, as I sat upright with my rifle clutched tightly in my hand, listening to the horrible howling and roar- ing that filled the air with deafening echoes. A few panthers approached our camp in response to Pamir's bark, but none dared to come within shooting distance. I had left Serinagur at the head of eleven carriers, of whom four carried as many casks of wine, four more the clothes needed for the jour- ney, another my weapons, and still another dif- ferent utensils, while a last served as courier and guide, as he frequently went forward to recon- noiter. The latter' s name was Chicari, which signifies, "he who accompanies the hunter and picks up the game." But owing to his cowardice and utter ignorance of the country, I dismissed him, with some of the other men the next morn- ing, retaining only four carriers with me. I quickly replaced them with horses, and slowly proceeded toward the village of Grounde. 38 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHEIST. What beautiful nature unfolds itself in the gorge of the Sindh, and how beloved it is by the hunter. Besides the larger beasts of prey, there are also found deer, moufflon, and an immense variety of birds, among which may be mentioned the golden, the red, and the snow-white pheasant, large partridges, and immense eagles. The villages along the Sindh are not remark- able for their dimensions, most of them consist- ing of but ten to twenty wretched huts, occupied by ragged families that bear the stamp of poverty. The domestic animals all belong to an exceedingly small species. Crossing the stream at Sambal I stopped near the Gounde village for a relay of horses. In some of the small places, I was absolutely refused a change of horses until I made use of my whip, a proceeding which at once imposed respect and obedience. Money also proved a most powerful agent in attaining this object, inspiring a servile obedience and a desire to execute my orders that was truly astonishing. Gold and the lash are the real sovereigns of the Orient; without them the Great Mogul himself could have had no preponderance. Meanwhile, night was gathering fast and I was anxious to cross the defile that separates the villages of Gogangan and Sonamarg, the road A JOURNEY TO THIBET. * 89 being in a horrible condition and infested with wild beasts that come to the very doors of the dwelling houses in search of prey under cover of night. The spot is fertile and beautiful, yet few dare make it their home on account of the fre- quent visits of the panther among the domestic animals. At the extremity of the defile, near Tchokodar, or Thajwas, I caught sight of two dark masses which I could not at first distinguish in the semi- obscurity, but which, on closer inspection, proved to be two bears following a cub on the roadway. Being alone with my servant — the caravan hav- ing remained behind — I hesitated somewhat in attacking them with my single rifle, but long excursions on the mountains had strongly devel- oped the instincts of the hunter in me, and I resolved to brave tbe dangers. To leap from the saddle, fire, and reload, without even verifying the result of the first shot, was the work of a second. One of the bears sprang toward me, but a second shot changed his course, and he disap- peared. Still holding my loaded rifie, I cau- tiously advanced in the direction in which I had fired and found a bear lying on its side, with a young cub playing near. Another shot brought him down in his turn, and I thus procured two beautiful skins of jet black. 40 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. This meeting delayed us two full hours, and night had completely fallen when I pitched my tent near Tchokodar, which I again left at the first streak of dawn for Baltal, still following the course of the Sindh. The magnificent scenery of the "golden prai- rie" comes to an abrupt end here with a village of the same name — sona (gold) and marg (prai- rie). The slope of Zodgi-la is then immediately reached — a steep elevation of eleven thousand five hundred feet — beyond which the entire coun- try assumes a severe, inhospitable character. My hunting adventures were now at an end, having seen nothing this side of Baltal but wild goats. Game might have been found in plenty by pene- trating into the very heart of these mysterious mountains, but I had neither the time nor desire to leave the highway on such dangerous expedi- tions, and I tranquilly continued my journey toward Ladak. What an abrupt transition I experienced, in passing from the smiling nature and fine popula- tion of Kashmir to the barren gloomy rocks and deformed beardless inhabitants of the Ladak! The country into which I had just penetrated stands at an altitude of eleven to twelve thousand feet, descending to a level of eight thousand at Kargil. A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 41 The ascent of Zodgi-La is extremely difficult, being an almost perpendicular wall, while, at some points, the road winds over projecting rocks not more than a meter in breadth, bor- dering on a precipice of unfathomable depth. Heaven i)reserve the traveler from a fall! In some places long poles have been introduced into the rocks and covered with earth. Brr — ! At the thought that the dislodging of the small- est stone from the mountain-side, or the oscilla- tion of the poles might precipitate the structure into the yawning abyss below, carrying with it the intrepid person who might have ventured on this perilous path, my heart almost stopped its beat- ing, and it was with a sigh of relief that I finally came to the end of the dangerous path. Having crossed the glaciers, we made a halt in the valley and began preparations to spend the night near a post-hut, amid cheerless surround- ings of eternal ice and snow. Beyond Baltal distance is determined by means of daks — postal stations established to facilitate the forwarding of mail. These are low huts sit- uated at a distance of seven kilometers from each other, where a man remains permanently on duty in each. The postal service between the Kash- mir and Thibet is of the most primitive l^ind. The letters are inclosed in a leather bag and 42 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. placed in charge of a carrier, who rapidly travels over the seven kilometers allotted to him with a basket strapped to his back containing a number of these bags. This he hands over to another car- rier, who, in his turn, accomplishes his task in a similar fashion. Neither rain nor snow can stop them, and the service is thus carried on with regularity between Kashmir and Thibet, and vice- versa, once a week. Each run is paid for at the rate of six annas (one franc), this being the com- pensation usually given merchandise carriers, although my servants carried a burden ten times as heavy. One is filled with compassion at sight of the pale, haggard faces of these weary men; but what can be done? It is the custom of the country, and strangers are powerless. Tea is brought from China in a similar way, a rapid and cheap means of transportation. As we approached Montaiyan, I rejoined the caravan of Yarkandians which I had promised to accompany on their journey. They recognized me from afar and begged me to examine one of their companions who was very ill. I found him struggling in the throes of a burning fever, and waved my hands as a sign of despair; pointing to heaven to make them understand that human science and will was powerless now, and that God alone could save him. As they were journeying A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 43 very slowly, I left them once more with, the intention of reaching Dras that evening, a town built in the depth of the valley on a river of the same name, near which is a small fort of extremely ancient construction, newly plastered, and guarded by three soldiers of the Maharaja's army. Here I took shelter in the postal building; the only station in connection with the telegraphic wire laid from Serinagur to the heart of the Himalayas. From this time forward, I totally abandoned my tent at night and sought repose in the roadside inns, which, though repulsively filthy, could always boast of a huge chimney fire. From Dras to Kargil the scenery is monotonous and disagreeable. The sunrise and sunset are glorious it is true, and the moonlight is magnifi- cent, but the road is flat, endless, and beset with dangers. Kargil is the chief town of the district and the residence of the governor of the division. The site is decidedly picturesque. Two turbulent streams, the Sourou and Wakka, dash noisely over their rocky beds and unite their rippling waters as they emerge from their respective gorges thus forming the Suru River, on the banks of which the mud buildings of Kargil are 44 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. constructed. A small fort, guarded by two or three soldiers, stands at the junction of the two streams. Having procured fresh horses, I resumed my journey at sunrise by entering the Ladak, or Lit- tle Thibet. During this day's journey I crossed a shaky bridge, which, like all bridges in Kash- mir, was rudely constructed of long beams rest- ing on either banks, overlaid with fagots and slender poles, giving it the appearance of a some- what primitive suspension bridge. Before long I reached a small plateau over which the road stretched for two kilometers, then gradually descended into the narrow valley of the Wakka, with its many tiny villages, the most picturesque of which is Paskium on the left bank of the river. I was now treading Buddhist soil. The inhab- itants of this part of the country are of the most simple and gentle character, seeming utterly in ignorance of what we term ''quarreling" at home. Women are somewhat scarce; but the few we chanced to meet, by the expression of cheer- fulness and prosperity reflected upon their coun- tenances, presented a strong contrast to those I had so far seen in Kashmir or India. But this is not astonishing, since each of these women legiti- mately possesses from three to five husbands. A JOUENEY TO THIBET. 46 Polyandry is practiced throughout the country. However large a family may be, there is but one woman in the household; and if it does not con- sist of more than three persons, a bachelor may become a member of it by bringing material com- pensation into the house. The days allotted to each of the husbands are determined upon before- hand, and all perform their duties with scrupu- lous exactitude. The men, as a rule, are of weakly constitutions, with stooped shoulders and a general debilitated appearance, and scarcely ever pass middle age. In fact, I did not meet one single white-haired old man throughout my journey in the Ladak country. That portion of the Kargil route which lies in the center of the Ladak, is of a more cheerful aspect than the country over which I had just traveled, being much enlivened by a number of small hamlets, but trees and verdure are unfor- tunately exceedingly scarce. Twenty miles from Kargil, at the mouth of the defile formed by the swift current of the Wakka, is a small village called Chargol, in the center of which are three altars decked in bright colors (t'hortenes is the name they bear in Thibet). Below, near the river, is a mass of rocks forming long, thick walls, on which flat stones of divers colors have been thrown pell-mell, in the greatest 46 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. disorder. These stones are elaborately engraved with all sorts of prayers in Sanscrit, Thibetan, and Oudhist characters; and even Arabic inscrip- tions have sometimes been found in this mixture. Unperceived by my carriers, I surreptitiously abstracted a few of these stones which I subse- quently placed in the palace of the Trocadero. From Chargol on, these peculiar oblong piers are seen at every step. At the first streak of dawn I started on my way with fresh horses, coming to a halt near the convent (gonpa) of Moulbeck, which stands against a tall isolated rock overlooking the hamlet of Wakkha. Not far away towers another gigantic rock of peculiar form, which looks as if transported there by human hands, and bears on one side a carved image of Buddha several meters in height. On this rock were placed a number of weather- cocks that served as a means of invocation. These labor-saving devices consist of wooden hoops draped with white or yellow material, and attached to a stick set vertically into the ground. The softest breeze will set them in motion, and the happy individual who possesses one of these contrivances is no longer obliged to recite his prayers, as everything that may be asked of the presiding god, by the believer, is written thereon. Seen from a distance this white -plastered mon- A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 47 astery, standing in such strong relief against the gray rocks, and these whirling machines with their floating draperies, produce a very strange effect in that half-dead country. Leaving my horses in the hamlet, and fo' lowed by my servant, I turned my steps in th* ? direction of the convent, which was reached by ^ narrow stairway hewn into the solid rock. At the top of this steep flight, I was greeted by a corpulent Lama, with a fringe of scraggy beard beneath his chin — a characteristic of the Thibetan people — and exceedingly ugly feat- ures, but who received me with the utmost cordiality. His dress consisted of a yellow robe and a cloth cap of the same color with ear-laps. In his right hand he carried a brass prayer- wheel, which he set in motion from time to time without the least pause in the conversation. This constituted a perpetual prayer, which being communicated to the air was the more easily wafted to heaven by the aid of the elements. After crossing a long succession of low rooms, in which were shelved a variety of images of Buddha, all sorts and sizes buried beneath a thick mantle of dust, we finally emerged upon an open terrace, from which the eye rested on a most baiTen waste, interspersed with ledges of gray rocks, and traversed by a single road lost 48 UNKNOWN LIFE OF 0HEI8T. in both directions beyond the limits of the horizon. We were scarcely seated when an attendant ap- peared with hop beer, or tchang, as it is called in this region, prepared within the walls of the mon- astery. This beverage gives the monks a quantity of superfluous flesh, which is considered by the people as a sign of particular favor from heaven. The Thibetan language is generally spoken here. The origin of this tongue is enveloped in obscurity; the accepted theory, however, is that a king of Thibet, who reigned in the days of Mo- hammed, undertook the creation of a universal language to be used by all the followers of Buddha. With this end in view he simplified the Sanscrit grammar, composed an alphabet con- taining an infinite number of signs, and thus formed the basis of a tongue of exceedingly easy pronunciation, but of most complicated orthog- raphy; no less than eight characters being re- quired to represent a single sound. The modern literature of Thibet is all written in this lan- guage. The Thibetan tongue in its purity, more- over, is spoken in the Ladak and in Oriental Thibet only; a dialect formed from a mixture of the mother tongue and a variety of idioms bor- rowed from the people of adjacent regions being used in all other parts of the country. A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 49 There always exist two tongues, even in every- day life, among the Thibetans; one being utterly incomprehensible to the women, while the other is spoken by the entire nation. The Thibetan tongue, in all its purity and integrity, can be found in the monasteries only. The monks much prefer European visitors to Mohammedans; and when I asked the reason of this preference, the Lama replied: ''The Mohammedans have nothing in common with our religion. In their recent victorious cam- paign, they converted, by force, a number of Bud- dhist s to Islamism; and it will require great efforts on our part to bring back these descend- ants of Buddhists into the path of the true God. As to Europeans, it is an entirely different mat- ter. Not only do they profess the essential prin- ciples of monotheism, but they also form part of the rank of worshipers of Buddha in almost the same degree as the Thibetan Lamas themselves. The only error of the Christians is that after adopting the great doctrine of Buddha, they, at the very outset, completely separated themselves from him and created another Dalai-Lama; while ours alone has received the divine favor of seeing the majesty of Buddha face to face, and the power of serving as intermediary between heaven and earth." 4 60 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. ' ' Who is this Dalai-Lama of the Christians of whom you speak? " I asked. ^' We have a ' Son of God ' to whom we address our fervent prayers. It is to him we have recourse, that he may inter- cede for us near our one and indivisible God." '' It is not to him I referred, sahib," he replied. ''We also respect him whom you recognize as the son of an only God, only we do not regard him as such, but as the excellent being, the chosen one from among all. Buddha did, indeed, incar- nate himself with his intelligence in the sacred person of Issa, who, without the aid of fire and sword, went forth to propagate our great and true religion through the entire world. I speak of your terrestrial Dalai-Lama, to whom you have given the title of Father of the Church. There lies the great sin; may it be remitted to the sheep that have strayed from the fold into the evil path," concluded the Lama fervently, as he once more set his prayer- wheel in motion. I understood that he alluded to the Pope. ''You have said that a son of Buddha, Issa, the chosen one, propagated your religion through- out the w^orld. Who then is he? " I inquired. The Lama opened his eyes in profound amaze- ment at this question, and rhuttered something I could not catch, then murmured almost unin- telligibly: A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 51 "Issa is a great prophet, one of the first after the twenty -two Buddhas^^ he is greater than any of the Dalai-Lamas, for he constitutes a part of the spirituality of the Lord. It is he who has instructed you, who has brought back frivolous souls to God, who has rendered you worthy of the blessings of the Creator, who has endowed each creature with the knowledge of good and evil. His name and his deeds have been recorded in our sacred writings, and, whilst reading of his great existence spent in the midst of erring peo- ple, we weep over the horrible sin of the pagans, who assassinated him after putting him to the most cruel tortures." I was forcibly struck by the Lama's words — the prophet Issa, his tortures and death, our Christian Dalai-Lama, the recognition of Chris- tianity by the Buddhists, all combined to make me think more and more of the career of Jesus Christ — and I begged my interpreter to omit nothing of the Lama's conversation. "Where are these sacred writings, and by whom were they compiled? " I asked. ''The principal rolls," said the monk, ''writ- ten in India and Nepal at different epochs, according to the course of events, are at Lassa and number many thousands. In some of the larger convents, there are copies made by the 52 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. Lamas at different periods during their stay at Lassa, and later presented to their convents as souvenirs of their visits to the great master, our Dalai-Lama." " Do you not possess any of these copies relat- ing to the prophet Issa? " "No, we do not possess any. Our convent is of little importance, and the Lamas have col- lected but a few hundred manuscripts since its foundation. The large cloisters possess thou- sands of them, but they are sacred things, and you can not see them anywhere." After a few minutes more conversation, I returned to the camp, reflecting deeply on what had been said by the Lama. Issa, the prophet of Buddhists! How could that have been? Being of Jewish origin, he dwelt in Palestine and Egypt; and the scripture con- tains not a word, not the slightest allusion to the part played by Buddhism in the education of Jesus. I determined to visit every convent in Thibet, hoping to gather more ample information con- cerning the prophet Issa and perhaps find copies of documents relating to him. Without being aware of it, we traversed the Namykala Pass at an altitude of thirteen thou- sand feet, from which we descended into the val- A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 63 ley of the Salinoumali River. Turning south- ward we reached Karbou, leaving numerous villages behind us and on the other bank. Among these was Chagdoom, perched on the summit of a rugged cliff in a singularly pictur- esque situation. All the houses of this little town being white, and of two to three stories in height, it presents an air of most festive gaiety, which, however, is a common feature of all the villages of the Ladak. While journeying through Kashmir, the Euro- pean loses almost all notion of his national archi- tecture in the monotonous sameness of the low square huts of the people; in the Ladak, on the contrary, he is agreeably surprised by the sight of neat houses of two and three stories, with quadruple windows, which remind him strongly of those of European provinces. Not far from Karbou, standing on two perpen- dicular rocks of gigantic dimensions, are the ruins of a little town or village destroyed by a disastrous storm and an earthquake; although the remains of the walls show that their solidity certainly left nothing to be desired. The next day I passed another station and crossed the Fotu-La Pass, at an altitude of thirteen thousand five hundred feet, on the summit of which is built a small t'hortene altar. From thence, following 64 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. the dry bed of a torrent, I descended into a ham- let called Lamayure, which springs up unexpect- edly before the eyes of the traveler. A convent, seemingly glued to the face of the rocky cliff and held there by miraculous intervention, domin- ates the village. Stairways are unknown in this monastery, ropes being used to ascend and descend from one floor to another; and the only means of communication with the outer world is through an endless labyrinth of passages and corridors. Directly beneath the convent win- dows, which appear like huge nests suspended from an isolated rock, is a small inn of uninvit- ing aspect which offers little comfort to the trav- eler. Hardly had I stretched myself upon the carpet in my room when it was invaded by a number of yellow-robed monks, who questioned me closely regarding the object of my Journey, the country from which I came, etc., concluding by inviting me to accompany them. In spite of my fatigue, I accepted the invitation and followed them up the steep passages hewn in the solid rock, encumbered by an infinity ot prayer-wheels which I involuntarily set in mo- tion as I passed. These devices are thus placed to save the passer-by any loss of time in prayer; and a stranger might be led to suppose that worldly affairs absorbed their entire day, leaving A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 55 no time for prayer. Many pious Buddhists util- ize the current of rivers for this purpose; and I have frequently seen long rows of these cylinders, covered with invocations, placed on river banks, so that the steady flow of water might keep them in constant movement, and thus exempt their owners from the obligation of praying. I finally found myself seated on a bench in a dimly lighted room, whose walls were adorned with the inevitable statues of Buddha, books, and prayer-wheels, with the loquacious monks eagerly explaining the signification of each object. ''And these volumes treat of religion, no doubt?" I ventured, during a pause. ''Yes," was the reply; "they treat of the first and principal rites of everyday life. We also possess several volumes of the words of Buddha, consecrated to the great and indivisible Divine Being, and to all things that have come from his hands." " Is there anything relating to the prophet Issa among these books? " I asked. "No, sahib," returned the monk. " We have nothing but a few of the principal treatises rela- tive to the observance of religious rites. As to the biographies of our saints, they are preserved at Lassa, and even some of the larger convents have not yet had time to procure copies of them. 66 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. Before coming here I lived many years in a large monastery at the other extremity of the Ladak, where I saw thousands of volumes and rolls of parchment copied at divers periods by the lamas of that place." In the course of further conversation I learned that the convent in question was situated near Leh. My persistent inquiries, however, unfor- tunately aroused suspicion in the minds of the lamas, and it was with evident relief, on their part, that I was finally guided back to the inn; when, after a light supper, I soon fell into a sound sleep, leaving instructions to my Hindoo servant to cautiously ascertain — from the young lamas — the name of the convent in which their chief had lived before his appointment to Lama- yure. At daybreak I continued my journey, and, to my disappointment, learned from my servant that his efforts to gain information from the lamas had proved unsuccessful, as they were evidently on their guard. I shall not pause here to speak of the convent life of these monks, for it is the same in all clois- ters of the Ladak. I afterward visited the cele- brated monastery of Leh, which I shall describe, in due time, giving full particulars concerning the curious existence led by the monks. A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 67 A steep declivity, running through a narrow gloomy defile that leads toward the Indus, begins at Lamayure. Totally unconscious of the dangers lurking in the descent, I sent my carriers onward and en- countered a passably good road stretching be- tween two cliflfs of brown argil. Soon, however, the path seemed to enter a narrow, obscure, sub- terranean passage, winding like a cornice along the rugged mountain side, above a precipice of frightful depth. A horseman, coming from the opposite direction, would assuredly have found it impossible to pass me on this overhanging shelf. Words are inadequate to describe the wild ma- jestic beauty of this gorge, whose ridges tower loftily toward the heavens, lifting their crests proudly above the dark chasm beneath. At some points the passage became so nar- row that I could touch the opposite rocks with the tip of my cane from the saddle, while at times it seemed as if death was inevitable at every step. But it was now too late to alight from my horse, although I had never dreamed that I should soon find occasion to regret my foolish imprudence in entering this gorge alone. This passage, in fact, is nothing more than an enormous crevice formed by a powerful earthquake, which must have forcibly separated two gigantic masses of granite 58 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. rocks. In the very depth of the defile is an im- petuous torrent, whose loud roar fills the gorge with a mysterious murmur, though it seems but an almost invisible white thread; while above the traveler glimmers a narrow, winding, blue streak, which is the only part of the celestial arch revealed between the towering rocks. This ma- jestic glimpse of nature inspired the most exquis- ite pleasure and delight, but the severe tranquil- lity, the frightful hush of the mountains, and the melancholy murmur of the torrent whose waters dashed against the granite rocks, filled me with unconquerable anguish. For a distance of nearly eight miles we were thus swayed between these sweet and painful sensations; then, after an abrupt turn to the right, our troop emerged into a small valley encircled with granite cliffs whose peaks are reflected in the Indus, and on the banks of which is found the small fortress of Khalsi. This celebrated fortress dates back to the time of the Mussulman invasions, and the only route from Kashmir to Thibet passes through it. Having crossed the Indus on a semi-suspension bridge leading to the door of the fortress, which it is impossible to evade, I traversed the valley and the village of Khalsi, directing my steps toward the hamlet of Snourly, which is situated along the stream and built on terraces bordering A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 59 the Indus, intending to spend the night there. The next two days I traveled quietly, and with- out encountering any difficulties, along the banks of the Indus, through a picturesque country that led me toward Leh, the capital of the Ladak. Through the small valley of Saspoula, and over a territory of several kilometers surrounding the village of the same name, we saw a number of t'hortenes and shrines, and also two convents, over one of which floated the French flag. I afterward learned that a French engineer had made a present of it to the monks, who used it for decorative purposes. I spent the night at Saspoula, and did not fail to visit the convent, the reader may rest assured. There, for the tenth time, I saw the eternal and dusty idols of Buddha, banners and flags piled into a corner, ugly masks littered over the floor, books and rolls of paper scattered in disorder, and a numberless quantity of prayer- wheels. The lamas take particular pleasure in making this exhibition, displaying the treasures of their con- vents with great pomp and pride, without in the least heeding the indifference or lack of interest natural to a stranger. ''Everything must be shown, in the hope that the mere sight of these sacred objects may force the traveler to believe in the divine grandeur of the human soul." 60 UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST. As to the prophet Issa, they only repeated what I already knew — that the books which could give me any information concerning him were to be found at Lassa, and that the larger monasteries only possessed a few copies of them. I now abandoned all thought of going through the Kar- akorum, and determined to find the history of the prophet Issa, which would, perhaps, place the private life of the best of men under a new light and complete the vague accounts given of him in the New Testament. At a short distance from Leh, and at the open- ing of the valley bearing the same name, the road stops short near an isolated rock, on the top of which stands a fort flanked with two towers and without garrison, and a small convent called Pitak. A mountain ten thousand five hundred feet in height protects the entrance of Thibet. The road then turns abruptly to the north in the direction of Leh, which is situated at an altitude of eleven thousand five hundred feet, six miles from Pitak, and at the base of immense granitic col- umns, with pinnacles enshrouded in eternal snows rising to an elevation of eighteen thousand to nineteen thousand feet. The city itself is en- circled by a belt of stunted aspen-trees, and is elevated on successive terraces, dominated by an old fort and the palace of the ancient sovereigns A JOURNEY TO THIBET. 61 of the Ladak. At twilight I reached Leh, and descended into a bungalow especially constructed for Europeans who come over the Indian route in the hunting season THE LADAkV THE Ladak formerly made part of Great Thibet. But the frequent invasions of northern nations, who traversed this coun- try in attempting to conquer Kashmir, and the many wars of which it was the scene of action, not only reduced it to misery, but also resulted in its separation from the political domination of Lassa by its passing from the hands of one conqueror to those of another. The Mohammedans, who took possession of Kashmir and the Ladak at an early period, forcibly converted the weak inhabitants of Little Thibet to Islamism. The political exist- ence of the Ladak ended with the annexation of that country to Kashmir by the Sikhs, when the people were permitted to again practice their ancient religion. Two-thirds of the inhabitants took advantage of this freedom to reconstruct their gonpas and resumed their former life; the Baltistans alone remaining Schiit-Mussulmans, a sect to which the conquerors of the country had belonged. Notwithstanding this, however, they have retained but a very vague tinge of Islamism;